The Historic District Commission approved five applications at last Wednesday’s meeting, and only one application provoked serious discussion.
The Eureka Springs Community Center asked for permission to add a section of chain-link gate between two rock retaining walls. Speaking for ESCC, Victor Smith outlined the need to close that gap to keep kids from wandering onto the road. Smith expressed a preference for the chain link, although he also submitted plans for a wooden gate in case the chain link was not acceptable.
HDC guidelines would ordinarily prohibit chain link, but part of the property already has chain link fencing, and commissioners thought a wooden gate would add another element. Commissioner Marty Cogan asked why the ESCC did not use rock to close the space between the two retaining walls, and Smith said they would still need access to that area for a concrete truck. Cogan asked if plants would work instead of the gate, and Smith stressed the safety aspect. He also asked permission to build a wooden enclosure around an air-conditioning unit in that same area. Cogan voted against, but the rest of the commission approved.
The other applications before the commission, all Level II, received straightforward approvals. At 320 Spring St., Teresa DeVito received approval for a new retaining wall four feet high. The wall will be constructed of dry stack limestone.
Harry Meyer can enclose a carport at 3 Cross St. Meyer did not attend the meeting, but his application included all the information commissioners needed. The enclosure will have a 16-ft. garage door, an entry door, and a window. The siding will be Hardie board. Cogan noted that the neighborhood is not historic, and most other homes have carports or garages. Chair Dee Bright reminded the others that the commission had approved a similar request a few years ago.
At 21 Owen St., Jay Fusaro received approval for an extension to a previous addition at the rear of the house. The extension, about six feet square, will provide a mud room.
Although HDC guidelines say dormers “should” not be added to the front of a roof, commissioners agreed with Amelia Irwin’s plan to add a shed dormer running most of the length of the roof at 139 Mill Hollow Rd. Irwin said she considered smaller dormers, but the proposed plan fit the architectural style of the house better, and also opened up the upstairs better. Irwin explained that the house has seen major remodels from the ground up since its 1925 construction.
The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5. Level III applications were due April 22, and other levels were due April 28.